Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » web hosting platform http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog Web Hosting Industry News, Latest Trends, and Analyses. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:48:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 4 Crucial Aspects to Consider When Choosing a Web Hosting Planhttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/25/4-crucial-aspects-to-consider-when-choosing-a-web-hosting-plan/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/25/4-crucial-aspects-to-consider-when-choosing-a-web-hosting-plan/#comments Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:35:50 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1381 With new web hosting businesses being born every day, and the web hosting industry (one of most competitive industries in the world) expanding at a rapid rate, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sift through the mountains of advertising material and sales pages effectively. Fortunately, if you use the right set of criteria in the proper order of operations, choosing the right web hosting plan or provider can still be a relatively simple process.

Knowing which aspects of web hosting plans are most important can help you save time when comparing the most essential attributes and features of each plan. The following four crucial aspects should be considered when examining any prospect of a web hosting provider or plan.

Web Hosting Platform

First and foremost, it is important to decide whether you need access to a web server that utilizes the Linux/UNIX operating system or the Windows operating system. This decision should be based on your individual website needs and the development technology you use(d) to design and create your web pages. Websites that are developed using Microsoft technologies such as ASP and VB will require access to a Windows server to function, while the majority of other open-source programming technologies such as PHP, Python, and Perl can function optimally on Linux-based operating systems.

Web Hosting Features

After deciding which web hosting platform would be most suitable, it’s best to begin comparing the most essential features between each plan. Some of the most important features to compare include the amount of disk space, bandwidth, databases, e-mail accounts, and domains allowed with each plan. As mentioned, it is also important to consider which programming languages and platforms the web hosting plan is compatible with. It is also important to look for features such as uptime and money back guarantees, as well as server redundancy and scheduled server backups.

Plan Affordability

After establishing your web hosting needs and narrowing the list of prospective plans, it’s time to begin comparing the prices of each plan. Unfortunately, the majority of novice webmasters choose to carry out these steps in the opposite order, choosing a plan based on price rather than establishing their server needs and comparing features and platforms first. If you want to ensure optimal performance and the highest rate of success for your websites, then you should never choose a web hosting provider based on price alone. Only begin comparing the prices of similarly sized plans after you have narrowed your list based on the two aforementioned aspects.

Customer Service and Support

Most people overlook the importance of having access to responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable customer service. That is, until something malfunctions and suddenly your websites are off-line or all of the pages are loading slowly. When this happens, you’ll need access to 24-hour support that is competent enough to handle any administrative tasks, regardless of what time of day or night it is. Thus, it is best to test the responsiveness of each web hosting provider’s customer support staff by calling them at random times and seeing how long it takes, and in which way they answer all of your inquiries.

Related posts:

]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2011/01/25/4-crucial-aspects-to-consider-when-choosing-a-web-hosting-plan/feed/ 0 The Pros and Cons of Web Hosting Platformshttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/06/05/the-pros-and-cons-of-web-hosting-platforms/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/06/05/the-pros-and-cons-of-web-hosting-platforms/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:17:11 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=364 The operating system forms the core of a computer as it enables the hardware and software to work in perfect harmony.  While there only a few systems used in home-based computers, the spectrum broadens when entering the server arena.  This article will weigh the pros and cons on the most widely used server platforms: Windows, Unix and Linux.

Windows

Microsoft Windows is popular in the web hosting environment because it offers a plethora of functionality and a user-friendly interface.  Unlike older systems, almost all critical tasks can be done through a point-and-click method rather than writing DOS commands.  The Windows platform is usually preferred by those that require ASP (Active Server Pages) technology or MS SQL Server databases.

Pros: Maintaining a Windows server is much easier than any other operating system.  The platform is largely supported by software vendors because of its name and domination in the PC sector.

Cons: Versions of Windows Server applications are costly, ranging in the hundreds of dollars per license.  These costs are often tacked on to the price of a web hosting service.  While the platform has been greatly improved over the years, older versions, some of which are still in use, have a higher vulnerability to security threats.

Unix

Many refer to Unix as the granddaddy of all operating systems.  This system has been used as a server platform for decades now.  Known for its stability, Unix is a reliable application mainly used for larger and more complex computer systems.  The software often comes bundled with server hardware made by vendors such as IBM, HP and Sun Microsystems.  These servers are powerful but they are also quite expensive, sometimes climbing into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Those with smaller scale needs typically utilize FreeBSD, a free Unix-like platform that runs on cheaper server hardware.

Pros: The Unix platform offers unparalleled stability and reliability.  It creates a rock-solid server that can thrive for years upon years without memory leaks or needing to be restarted.  Unix was built with security in mind and is therefore less susceptible to security flaws and threats.

Cons: The Unix platform can make for a very costly option.  The system also tends to be more complex and harder to find that Windows solutions.

Linux

The Linux operating system has become a major force as a web hosting platform.  Though it shares many characteristics of Unix, Linux is far more cost effective due to being released as open-source software.  The platform comes in many different distributions and is compatible with a variety of open-source technologies such as PHP and MySQL.

Pros: As a Unix-like system, Linux provides great stability and performance in the server environment.  While it isn’t exactly free, Linux always tends to be more affordable than both Windows and Unix in terms of web hosting.  Due to widespread use, the platform has great support from a community of users and software developers.

Cons: Similar to Unix, Linux requires a special set of skills to work with as most configurations must be performed from a command line.  Though it is becoming more mainstream, the platform isn’t as largely supported by software vendors as Windows.

Related posts:

]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/06/05/the-pros-and-cons-of-web-hosting-platforms/feed/ 1